When I am trying to open an ebook that I downloaded from Northern California Digital Library (.acsm file) I get an error: Sorry, the file you are attempting to open cannot be opened by Adobe Digital Editions

Adobe has a page: http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/408/kb408910.html saying that this is probably a version mismatch and suggesting to "Contact the web site (eBook store or library) from which the eBook was downloaded or purchased."

But how do people view the ebooks from Nor Cal library? Should I find the older version of Adobe DE? What is the practical solution for me?

What format is your library book in? If its epub or pdf.......you are out of luck.

I believe it's pdf because I was able to download PDF mentioned in .acsm file. But this PDF also doesn't open with the error.

Quote:

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

The kindle can read mobipocket books from the library, but there is a script that needs to be run.

Let us know.

So you are saying that nobody can read ebooks from the library on PC and I have to buy kindle or some other reader? So what is Adobe DE then for? Or it's so buggy that this renders it unusable? I was under impression that I am just missing something...

Assuming that your ADE is activated try redownloading the book. The file may be corrupted. If the second download doesn't work then you may want to be sure that your ADE is activated and then contact the library. You might also try a different book.

This won't get it onto your DX though. If it's a liberated PDF then you're good but if it's a liberated ePub then it will need to be converted. I can't give you directions on how to liberate or link to where the scripts reside but google is your friend.

There are readers that support ADE *but* on the dedicated devices it appears that you can only have one DRM format at a time. There are more than a few DRM schemes which makes it very confusing for consumers.

If you want to read DRMed PDFs on your DX there are ways to do so but you may want to return the DX (Amazon is wonderful with returns) if you are still within the 30 day window and look at other devices or wait because more are coming out all the time.

If you want to read DRMed PDFs on your DX there are ways to do so but you may want to return the DX (Amazon is wonderful with returns) if you are still within the 30 day window and look at other devices or wait because more are coming out all the time.

No, I am only trying to use PC at this point. No dedicated devices yet.

Still confused, how can I read ebooks from the library on PC.

PS: So far this whole area looks very immature to me. I didn't know that Kindle DX can't read DRMed pdfs. So I can't (potentially, if I decide to get one) use DX with library ebooks?

I believe that is the ADE license file containing the encryption key, not the book..you are trying to open the wrong file if you are trying to open a file with the extension .acsm...find the actualy book which will be a PDF/epub or whatever.

Here are some resources which will give you the details to figure it out rather than rehashing it all here before you exhaust the info there:

I believe that is the ADE license file containing the encryption key, not the book..you are trying to open the wrong file if you are trying to open a file with the extension .acsm...find the actualy book which will be a PDF/epub or whatever.

When I click "Download" on the Nor Cal library page I only get .acsm file. [utl]http://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/ACSM[/url] seems to say that DE will download pdf itself. And pdf url is mentioned in acsm. I can download it. Regular acrobat says that I have to use DE to read it. DE complains with an error.

When I am trying to open an ebook that I downloaded from Northern California Digital Library (.acsm file) I get an error: Sorry, the file you are attempting to open cannot be opened by Adobe Digital Editions

Adobe has a page: http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/408/kb408910.html saying that this is probably a version mismatch and suggesting to "Contact the web site (eBook store or library) from which the eBook was downloaded or purchased."

But how do people view the ebooks from Nor Cal library? Should I find the older version of Adobe DE? What is the practical solution for me?

And is there a reason why you haven't contacted the library, as recommended by Adobe? Think about it-somebody at the library knows what version of Adobe they're using. We don't. Somebody at the library knows whether or not other users have reported problems with this file. We don't.

It's not that we're not willing to help you-it's just that the library's support desk should be better *able* to help you. That doesn't mean they have all the answers (after all, they don't know what you're using any more than we do) but they should be a good first stop.

And is there a reason why you haven't contacted the library, as recommended by Adobe? Think about it-somebody at the library knows what version of Adobe they're using. We don't. Somebody at the library knows whether or not other users have reported problems with this file. We don't.

I didn't contact the library first because NorCal DL page asks which library you are member of and asks to send an e-mail to this city library. Obviously the local library doesn't deal with ebooks. There must be the central location, which actually runs this NorCal site.

But now I've sent them an email anyways. Will see what they say, if anything.

When I click "Download" on the Nor Cal library page I only get .acsm file. [utl]http://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/ACSM[/url] seems to say that DE will download pdf itself. And pdf url is mentioned in acsm. I can download it. Regular acrobat says that I have to use DE to read it. DE complains with an error.

And my DE is authenticated.

Are you just clicking on .acsm file to try to open it? I ask because I'm very new to ADE and I was having trouble opening a free book because I kept clicking on on the book file. I was told to save the book to the desktop and drag and drop the book onto the icon for ADE. Once I did that, it opened just fine.

Sorry, if you already know this but I thought I'd mention it just in case.

Are you just clicking on .acsm file to try to open it? I ask because I'm very new to ADE and I was having trouble opening a free book because I kept clicking on on the book file. I was told to save the book to the desktop and drag and drop the book onto the icon for ADE. Once I did that, it opened just fine.

Sorry, if you already know this but I thought I'd mention it just in case.